Sciences and Exploration Directorate

Crystal S Thomas

(STAFF RESEARCH SCIENTIST)

Crystal S Thomas's Contact Card & Information.
Email: crystal.s.thomas@nasa.gov
Phone: 301.286.7299
Org Code: 616
Address:
NASA/GSFC
Mail Code 616.1
Greenbelt, MD 20771
Employer: SCIENCE SYSTEMS AND APPLICATIONS INC

Brief Bio


Crystal Thomas has over 25 years of experience conducting HPLC pigment analysis for ocean color research and researching method improvements. Thomas's research interests include method development and quality assurance/quality control, particularly as they relate to identifying and minimizing sources of uncertainty in HPLC pigment measurements. Currently, she manages the activities of GSFC’s Ocean Ecology Laboratory HPLC pigment analysis program.

Positions/Employment


Lead Scientific Analyst

Science Systems and Applications, Inc.(SSAI) - NASA-Goddard Space Flight Center

April 2019 - Present

Scientific lead on NASA contract to analyze HPLC phytoplankton pigment samples for various PIs in support of ocean color research, and research into analysis of water-soluble phytoplankton pigments (phycobilins) and advanced chromatographic techniques (LC-MS, UHPLC).


Research Scientist

Science Systems and Applications, Inc. - NASA-Goddard Space Flight Center

March 2011 - April 2019

Scientific lead on NASA contract to analyze HPLC pigment samples for various PIs in support of ocean color research


Senior Faculty Research Assistant

University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, Horn Point Laboratory - Cambridge, MD

July 2007 - March 2011

Manage HPLC Analytical Services laboratory
Train and supervise laboratory technicians
Develop and execute a rigorous quality assurance/quality control system


Faculty Research Assistant

University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, Horn Point Laboratory - Cambridge, MD

September 1997 - June 2007

Analyze, interpret and quantify HPLC pigment and nutrient data
Develop pigment isolation techniques for creation of standards
Research to improve agreement among laboratories performing the same chemical measurements
Maintain quality assurance/quality control records

Teaching Experience


Classroom and laboratory instructor for short course, Phytoplankton Bio-Optical Variability in Coastal Systems. Taught students how to establish and maintain an HPLC pigment analysis laboratory, with emphasis on Quality Assurance/Quality Control. Sponsored by NF-POGO (Nippon Foundation-Partnership for Observation of the Global Oceans) and AWI-CofE (Alfred-Wegener Institute Center for Excellence), 19-23 January, 2015, Ensendada, Mexico 

Awards


Hydrospheric and Biospheric Sciences (HOBI) Award for Scientific/Technical Support (2015)

Selected Publications


Refereed

2023. "Nunataryuk field campaigns: understanding the origin and fate of terrestrial organic matter in the coastal waters of the Mackenzie Delta region." Earth System Science Data 15 (4): 1617-1653 [10.5194/essd-15-1617-2023] [Journal Article/Letter]

2022. "Impact of growth phase, pigment adaptation and climate change conditions on the cellular pigment and carbon content of fifty‐one phytoplankton isolates." Journal of Phycology [10.1111/jpy.13279] [Journal Article/Letter]

2022. "A compilation of global bio-optical in situ data for ocean-colour satellite applications – version three." Earth System Science Data [10.5194/essd-2022-159] [Journal Article/Letter]

2021. "Diagnosing seasonal to multi-decadal phytoplankton group dynamics in a highly productive coastal ecosystem." Progress in Oceanography 197 102637 [10.1016/j.pocean.2021.102637] [Journal Article/Letter]

2017. "Effect of physico-chemical regimes and tropical cyclones on seasonal distribution of chlorophyll-a in the Chilika Lagoon, east coast of India." Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 189 (4): 153 [10.1007/s10661-017-5850-5] [Journal Article/Letter]

2015. "Assessment of ocean color data records from MODIS-Aqua in the western Arctic Ocean." Deep Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography 118 (Part A): 32-43 [10.1016/j.dsr2.2015.02.011] [Journal Article/Letter]

2011. "Part VII: Data sheets aiding identification of phytoplankton carotenoids and chlorophylls." Phytoplankton Pigments: Characterization, Chemotaxonomy, and Applications in Oceanography 665-674 [10.1017/CBO9780511732263] [Article in Book]

2011. "HPLC instrument performance metrics and validation." Phytoplankton Pigments: Characterization, Chemotaxonomy, and Applications in Oceanography 890 [Book]

2004. "An intercomparison of HPLC phytoplankton pigment methods using in situ samples: application to remote sensing and database activities." Marine Chem 85 (1-2): 41-61 [10.1016/j.marchem.2003.09.002] [Journal Article/Letter]

2001. "Computer-assisted high-performance liquid chromatography method development with applications to the isolation and analysis of phytoplankton pigments." J. Chrom. A. 910 31-49 [Journal Article/Letter]

Non-Refereed

2014. "Assessment of ocean color data records from MODIS-Aqua in the western Arctic Ocean." Proc. Ocean Optics XXII [Proceedings]

2012. "The Fifth SeaWiFS HPLC Analysis Round-Robin Experiment (SeaHARRE-5)." NASA Technical Memo. 2012-217503 98 [Report]

2010. "The Fourth SeaWiFS HPLC Analysis Round-Robin Experiment (SeaHARRE-4)." NASA Technical Memo 2010-215857 75 [Other]

2009. "The Third SeaWiFS HPLC Analysis Round-Robin Experiment (SeaHARRE-3)." NASA Technical Memo 2009-215849 97 [Report]

2005. "The Second SeaWiFS HPLC Analysis Round-Robin Experiment (SeaHARRE-2)." NASA Tech Memo 2005-212785 112 pp [Other]

Talks, Presentations and Posters


Invited

Classroom and laboratory instructor for short course - Phytoplankton bio-optical variability:
application to the study of coastal systems.

February 2015

part of a short course, Phytoplankton Bio-Optical Variability in Coastal Systems, taught students how to establish and maintain an HPLC pigment analysis laboratory, with emphasis on Quality Assurance/Quality Control, sponsored by NF-POGO (Nippon Foundation-Partnership for Observation of the Global Oceans) and AWI-CofE (Alfred-Wegener Institute Center for Excellence), 19-23 January, 2015, Ensendada, Mexico


Pigment Analysis: Sample Collection and Measurement Techniques

November 21, 2013

NANO (NF-POGO Alumni Network for Oceans) meeting, Fundaction la Salle, Venezuela


Components of High-Quality HPLC Measurements

November 22, 2013

NANO (NF-POGO Alumni Network for Oceans) meeting, Fundaction la Salle, Venezuela


HPLC Methods and Intercomparison

November 22, 2013

NANO (NF-POGO Alumni Network for Oceans) meeting, Fundaction la Salle, Venezuela


Other

Thomas, C., J. Chaves, A. Mannino (2018), Global variability of phytoplankton photosynthetic pigments determined by High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC): a precision assessment of the dataset analyzed by NASA, Abstract OD34A-2752, presented at 2018 Ocean Sciences Meeting, Portland, OR, 12-16 Feb.

March 14, 2018